When All Lights Go Out I (TFP)

Chapter 8

"Would it be okay if I accompany you?" He lowered his hand to Azura as she stepped into his palm. "Or would you prefer if Cliff or Bee take you into town? I know the three of you have become rather fast friends, so I would imagine you prefer to go with them."

Azura didn't expect that question. "Um...how about I have breakfast first? I don't know what I would want to do in town first, so I need to ponder over breakfast." He nodded as he stood up and walked out of the room towards the lobby. "Although...since you have asked, I will probably ask you to take me, Optimus. I think it would be rather impolite if I went and asked Cliff to go with me instead. I would feel bad by doing that to you."

Optimus's shoulders relax slightly as he was happy she would let him take her into town to buy some things. He knew it might not necessarily be essential, but that was fine. "Would it be possible for you to tell me why you were crying?" Azura looked away from Optimus as soon as he said that. "Was it...a nightmare? Or maybe...maybe you were feeling lonely?"

Azura did not really know how to answer his question. She didn't really know what to say, mostly because she didn't know if telling him her dream or feelings was even a good idea. "I...I would rather not talk about it, Optimus. Thanks for your concern...but I don't want to talk about it...not right now."

Optimus did not press for any further information. However, he was happy that she might open up about what made her upset either on the way to town, or some other time. He would be happy to keep it between him and Azura if she wished for that to be the case. He had no intention of causing any ill will towards her, especially since hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do. Though Optimus feared that it was inevitable when he, Arcee and Ratchet tell her more about the story regarding his lost sparkling.

"Hmm...I believe, from memory, Fowler gave us the ingredients and recipe for chocolate chip and vanilla pancakes," Optimus said thoughtfully and Azura looked up at him in surprise. "Would that maybe help make you feel better?" She thought about it and smiled at him. "I know it probably is not the healthiest of human foods...from what I understand, but I have read that sweet foods can make you feel a whole lot better."

She nodded in agreement. "That is true...I guess that means I'll have a sugar rush from it...I might just add in a little ingredient addon. I would add banana into those pancakes, or at least have some sliced up with them. I've had banana pancakes before with vanilla and chocolate sauce...mmm, mmm, that was good...but that was over a year ago when I had enough to eat some breakfast after Miss Honey decided I wasn't eating for a whole week."

Optimus widened his optics in shock. "She did? Why?"

Azura shrugged and shook her head. "She was angry that the white sheets for her bed were brown. And that was because there was an issue with the town water supply at the time and people were advised to not drink it because the water was bad. And also advised to use rainwater for cleaning clothes if possible. But Miss Honey must have thought that the orphanage was free from such atrocity, and her white sheets turned out brown. And because I was in charge of the laundry, I wasn't allow to eat breakfast or dinner for a whole week. Thankfully, I had lunch at school, but I was still hungry."

Optimus stared in disbelief. Someone had prevented Azura from eating for a whole week. "How often did this Miss Honey prevent you and the other children from eating? Was it a regular punishment?" Azura nodded, while lifting her hand and moving it to show it was more a fifty-fifty kind of punishment. "I have to admit, I am angry that she would do that to you."

"To be honest, she was doing it regularly enough that I go used to it," Azura said softly with a shrug. "Plus the...metal ruler across the back was the worst. I preferred starving than to feel that. Although, I was kind of clever when I was much younger. I worked out how to have food without being caught, and I continued to do that so no kid would starve that much."